Want to buy an older dodge diesel

[barronj]

I was looking at primarily Gen2 2000-2002 2500's but would probably prefer a Gen3 with 4 doors.

Here's the deal- I drive a nice F150 now, drive the wheels off it with 33K/year avg miles. I tow a 21' boat at least once a month, and I like the bed of my truck and my tool box. If you are broke down with a dead battery, flat tire or need a quick tow out of the intersection or to the next parking lot, I'm your guy if I'm passing by. That aside, some of my clients are shopping for more expensive houses than I'm comfortable pulling up to in a pick up (or toting them around in a pick up), and a new Tahoe is what I have my sights on for that (a truck payment is a reality for me). I'm still up higher than a sedan, still have hp to get out of my own way, and I can pull/tow in a pinch.

On the Gen 2, I would hope for an extended cab, long wheel base.
On the Gen 3, I would have to have the 4 door, but short wheel base.

What's your preference, one over the others?

[JPM]

My personal experience with the Dodges were this. I owned a low mileage 2001 quad cab with the auto. Against my better judgment, I bought an extended warranty on the truck with only 25k miles on it. It paid off. Starter, a/c condenser twice, electrical problems, clock spring in the steering wheel twice and numerous other small Dodge problems. No engine issues. I traded it in before 75k, tired of the dealership trips.
However, my Dad had an 00 with the six speed and used it to hot shot. He had well over 400k when he sold it and didn't have the problems I had except for the A/C. Both of these trucks had the exploding dash.
My step-dad has an 05 extended cab and no one has abused there truck the way he has and it has 180k on it and has had nothing but an occasional a/c problem. Good luck either way. I think the 04 and up would be my choice.

[JV106]

I have a 2007.5 Dodge Ram 2500 quad cab short wheel base. I’ve had it since 2010 it had 67k on the clock when I bought it. It has 370k miles on it now. It’s a solid truck and has been. I deleted it at 90k miles, put head studs on it, rebuilt the transmission at 280k. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend a 3rd gen with a 6.7. They are tough.

Regrettably I’m about to trade it in or sell it for something newer. We just had our first son and I want him in something a little more comfy.

[fastwhite99gt]

03-07 5.9 common rail would be the one I’d go for, tons of support for any issue and they were the first Dodge diesels that didn’t sound like a tractor when you idled anywhere.

[barronj]

Thanks all

[Big A]

Keep the F150, lease a base 3-series, and write it off as a business expense.

[black2002ls]

I have a 2007.5 Dodge Ram 2500 quad cab short wheel base. I’ve had it since 2010 it had 67k on the clock when I bought it. It has 370k miles on it now. It’s a solid truck and has been. I deleted it at 90k miles, put head studs on it, rebuilt the transmission at 280k. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend a 3rd gen with a 6.7. They are tough.

Regrettably I’m about to trade it in or sell it for something newer. We just had our first son and I want him in something a little more comfy.

The key here is that it was deleted. the 6.7L was a strong engine, the problem and the reason it got a bad wrap in the beginning was all of the new emissions shit for the ULSD. It caused people issues left and right, as well as killed the fuel mileage that the 5.9L was so sought after for. I was selling them when the 6.7L came out and our remaining inventory of 5.9L went FAST to buyers all over the country.

[barronj]

Keep the F150, lease a base 3-series, and write it off as a business expense.

I guess I know that leasing and writing it off as a business expense is the smartest way to go about having a new vehicle for work but I pile on the miles... I guess they build that in to the payment and I have that much more to write off?

[Big A]

I guess I know that leasing and writing it off as a business expense is the smartest way to go about having a new vehicle for work but I pile on the miles... I guess they build that in to the payment and I have that much more to write off?

You'd negotiate the higher mileage up-front, to account for greater depreciation, so you'll pay more monthly, but you'd still get that depreciation when buying too. A lease will keep you in in a newish car with relatively low miles and a warranty for the forseable future, for a lower payment than buying.

I'll be out of warranty on the X4 next month, and am wishing that it were a lease, so I wouldn't have to fight the wife on getting something new. I'm ready for new, but she loves it, so we may end up keeping it for a few more years, making it better to have bought. When I bought it I had the sentiment that I'd want to keep it "forever," but that's changed, it just doesn't smell the same anymore.

[shumpertdavid]

I've got a 2000 Quad cab, long bed, auto, bought it with 136k in 2010, has @215K now. It's been a good truck to me, it had some issues when I bought it but nothing uncommon for the most part. I replaced upper / lower ball joints, all tie rod ends, idler and pitman arms, it's had 1 water pump. I replaced the dash, rebuilt the foam on the a\c doors, new heater core and evaporator core while I was in there, and added fatmat to all the cab interior. I had a friend build the transmission, added a triple disc billet converter, the gm governor upgrade, along with basic updates and the Transgo HDII kit. I run a Quadzilla Adrenaline with Pulse tuner, AFE intake, 4" MBRP exhaust, 75hp injectors, and the boost is turned up. I've had to put 2 VP44 injection pumps on it. 1 died, and the 2nd was my fault, I fried it by accident when diagnosing a stalling issue that ended up being the crank sensor. I run a Fass Fuel System as the stock style lift pump was bad when I bought the truck.

I'd like the extra room of a 3rd gen 4 door, but the truck is long paid for and does everything I need it to. I was hit in 2012 and it received fresh paint, 2 tone, newer wheels, etc.

I will say, the mileage isn't that great for me. Average is 14.5-15.5mpg, my best was just under 19mpg. The VP-44 trucks weren't known for their mileage.

[4EyedTurd]

But how’s the dash? Caved in and falling apart?

[JC316]

I will say, the mileage isn't that great for me. Average is 14.5-15.5mpg, my best was just under 19mpg. The VP-44 trucks weren't known for their mileage.

[/URL]

Well considering that I get 9mpg average with my V10 ram, the bar was pretty low for the diesels.

[shumpertdavid]

Well considering that I get 9mpg average with my V10 ram, the bar was pretty low for the diesels.

My 2004 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 6.0 gets 9.3-10.7 empty or loaded so I know that pain.

[shumpertdavid]

But how’s the dash? Caved in and falling apart?

The dash was in bad shape, cracked when I got it and after pulling and breaking pieces while trying to find a rattle, it was pretty well gone. After I got it from the paint shop I pulled the dash to do the sound deadener and replaced the dash cap and bezel with new pieces from LMC, added a double DIN dvd player and redid the headliner since it was all apart. I keep a molded carpet cover over the dash still to keep it protected. I've done a number of heater cores and evaporators cores in this body style dodge over the years, but my personal truck is the only one I've ever fully removed the dash assembly or replaced the cover on.

I've kicked the idea around of selling it but I'd want a 4 door 3rd gen or 4 door duramax to replace it with and don't want to start the process over of putting a truck together the way I want it again.

[shumpertdavid]